The EMD GP59 is a 4-axle diesel
locomotive
A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...
model built by
General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1985 and 1989. Power was provided by a 12-
cylinder EMD 710G3A diesel engine, which could produce . This locomotive shared the same common frame with the
EMD GP60, giving it an overall length of . It featured a fuel tank. 36 examples of this locomotive were built including three demonstrators.
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
placed the only order for the GP59 and also acquired the three demonstrators which featured an
aerodynamic
Aerodynamics () is the study of the motion of atmosphere of Earth, air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dynamics and its subfield of gas dynamics, and is an ...
cab.
By adding a
comfort cab, a
full cowl body, and an
HEP generator, the GP59 became the
EMD F59PH
The EMD F59PH is a four-axle AAR wheel arrangement#B-B, B-B Diesel-electric transmission, diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Diesel, Electro-Motive Division from 1988 to 1994. A variant, the F59PHI, was produced f ...
.
In 2011 Norfolk Southern began a program to upgrade their fleet of GP59s, the only GP59s operating anywhere. The first one was not released until March 2013 as NS 4650 GP59E. The GP59E features a new EM2000 microprocessor, an all-new electrical cabinet with SmartStart auto start/stop, rebuilt 12-710G3C-BC prime-mover with EMDEC EUI system, NS-designed split cooling, the NS Admiral cab with cab signals, LSL, and CCB26 electronic brake valve. The GP59E is set up to operate with NS class RP-M4C road slugs.
In 2016, Norfolk Southern began a program to upgrade
GP50 and GP59 units to GP59ECO's. These will be similar to the
GP33ECO locomotives, but these units will be paid for by Norfolk Southern, not government funding. In June 2016, the first unit, 4662, was completed, rebuilt from GP50 7073.
Original owners
References
External links
* Sarberenyi, Robert.
EMD GP60, GP60M, GP60B, and GP59 Original Owners'
* AltoonaWorks.info
'
GP59
B-B locomotives
Diesel–electric locomotives of the United States
Railway locomotives introduced in 1985
Freight locomotives
Standard-gauge locomotives of the United States
Norfolk Southern Railway locomotives
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